Flavors of the Month is a monthly feature of some of the best dishes and restaurants I enjoyed.
December was a VERY delicious month with visits to three breweries, six newly opened restaurants, and dishes I’ll be dreaming about for a while. The month included eats in Austin and Dallas and unless marked, the places are in Austin.
Family-Style Dishes at General Tso’Boy
The month started with an Austin Food Bloggers Alliance happy hour at General Tso’Boy at the Domain. They are introducing family-style dishes, so we tried chicken, noodle, and veggie dishes. I need to go back to try their soft serve! (General Tso’Boy provided us this tasting complimentary.)
Beers at St Elmo Brewing
A new brewery opened in South Austin, so we made the long trek from North Austin to check it out. I really like their space. I got their beer flight and tried the Jan (German IPA), Slater (American IPA), Chico (Kolsch), Koufax (Shandy), and Dampf (Hefe-Barley). Their IPAs are intense! My favorites were the Chico and Dampf.
Thai Fusion Lunch at Soursop
The food at Soursop was incredible! I’m excited about this new Austin food trailer and I wish it were up north. It is located at St Elmo Brewing so we enjoyed lunch with our beers. We tried the Sambal Wings, Fried Chicken Sandwich with fries, Thai Salad (Som Tam), and ice cream sandwich. The fried chicken sandwich was HANDS DOWN our favorite dish. You have to try this one when you go!
Happy Hour at Salty Sow
I took Boyfriend for a quick happy hour before my work holiday party. I’m always excited when I leave Salty Sow because I remember how much I like it! We indulged in the duck fat fries, deviled eggs, and Brussels sprouts.
Brunch at Vinaigrette
For the Austin Food Bloggers Alliance holiday party, we had brunch at Vinaigrette. I love this place because it’s a very pretty restaurant, and they have many healthy dishes on their menu. I started with the orange turmeric juice. For food, we tried the Huevos Rancheros, Vinny Steak and Eggs, Kale and Corned Beef Hash, Fried Egg and Green Chile Breakfast Sandwich, and Savory Cilantro-Corn Pancakes. The Kale and Corned Beef Hash and the Savory Cilantro-Corn Pancakes were my favorite dishes. (Vinaigrette provided us this tasting complimentary. Comments are my own.)
Dinner at Eberly
I was excited to see this beautiful, new restaurant in person! It’s a bigger space than I thought and the atrium-like dining area fills with beautiful light! My friend Janna and I enjoyed the charcuterie, short ribs, potato galette and the sweet potato donut dessert.
Happy Hour at Culinary Dropout
Some of my favorite blogger girls and I got together at Culinary Dropout for happy hour. We enjoyed the cheese plate, pretzels and fondue, house-made chips, grilled cheese, and sangrias. Their patio was perfect for the weather, since it got slightly warm in December, and their happy hour prices are GREAT, especially when split among us. This is definitely a hot, new spot at the Domain.
Strawberries and Cream Cupcake at Silos Baking Co. (Waco)
As you might have seen from this post about our road trip stop, I got to try a cupcake from Silos Baking Co. Click for more details.
Brunch at Boulevardier (Dallas)
I love going home for the holidays because it means getting together with the girls I grew up with in my hometown. We span four different cities in three different states but have a tradition of meeting up for at least one meal when we’re all home. This time it was at Boulevardier, and while my first visit was ok, this one was outstanding! The Lox Benedict with perfectly poached eggs was mouth-watering and I inhaled it. We finished off our meal with the bread pudding with huckleberry jam, bourbon butter sauce, and vanilla bean ice cream, and I wouldn’t mind eating that every day.
Beer at Deep Ellum Brewing Company (Dallas)
While in Dallas, Boyfriend and I decided to try some of the breweries we haven’t visited. First on the list was one Dallas’ most well-known – Deep Ellum Brewing – in downtown Dallas. Their branding is really cool and their taproom is spacious. I enjoyed the Easy Peasy IPA. It’s still an IPA but easier to drink than others. If you want something a little more intense, try the Deep Ellum IPA. I also had a sip of the Bourbon Barrel Aged Oak Cliff Coffee Ale, and while it’s not something I usually drink, it’s very smooth with strong flavors.
Beer at Lakewood Brewing Co. (Dallas)
After Deep Ellum Brewing, we hopped over to Lakewood Brewing Co in Garland. Here I tried the Red Wine Barrel Hop Trapp with Cherries. Yep, it’s a Belgian-style IPA aged in a red wine barrel. There was definitely a red wine flavor and I enjoyed it! Boyfriend was a big fan of the Temptress on nitro.
Holiday Eats
Visiting family for the holidays means a big Chinese meal! Lobster, crab, duck, veggies, fish. *sigh*
Thai Dishes at CrushCraft (Dallas)
CrushCraft has been on my list for a while, and it did not disappoint! We enjoyed the Pad Thai, Khao Soi, Papaya Salad, and Thai Iced Tea. Of course, the Khao Soi was my favorite, but the rest of the meal was so good also!
Kale Salad with Chicken and Olive Oil Lemon Cake at Flower Child
I could eat this meal every day. The kale salad has pink grapefruit, organic apple, black currant, smoked almond, white cheddar, and apple cider vinaigrette, and I added chicken to it. The flavors mixed perfectly and the chicken was very moist. That olive oil lemon cake felt sinful yet healthy at the same time. They also have kombucha on tap! It was no surprise that I liked Flower Child since True Food Kitchen is also in the company’s restaurant concepts. I can’t wait to go back!
Brunch at Forthright
I was excited to finally try Forthright after hearing so much about it. My friend Janna and I had the pork belly hash, egg nog French toast (a current special), and the avocado toast topped with poached eggs. The avocado toast was our favorite dish! Forthright is such a cute little café tucked off of West Cesar Chavez before Congress, and they’re open for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. (Forthright provided us this tasting complimentary. Comments are my own.)
New Year’s Eve Dinner
This year, Boyfriend and I decided to have a quiet night in with a home-cooked meal to celebrate New Year’s Eve. It’s been a busy couple of months with Thailand and holiday parties and going to Dallas. We grilled steaks and lobster tails – two “small” (regular) sized tail and one JUMBO 15oz one. They were so good!
Phew – what a month of good eats! There is so much great craft beer and restaurants out there. I hope you’re enjoying some good eats as well.
Eat anywhere fantastic lately? Tell me your favorite dish below!
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